VP

Black sea songs

A CAPELLA 3 VOICES CONCERT

In Achara mountains

In October 2002 Nana, Nato, Helen and Brigitte travelled into Adjara, a region of Georgia bordering the Black Sea and Turkey, capital: Batumi. They retraced the steps taken on a field trip made by Edisher and Nato some years before, refinding some of the same singers and songs.

In Shuakhavi at the annual festival of 9 villages,and then travelling higher up into smaller communites, they were able to hear the traditional songs being sung, thanks to the enormous kindness shown by their hosts and the singers. In this way the group learnt different versions of local songs and the stories attached to them. Songs from these meetings were later transcribed by Nana and Nato.

REHEARSALS
Some rehearsals began in the mountians of Georgia,whilst sitting on a balcony waiting to meet a singer late at night, in a bus or in a public garden, in numerous « supras » (dinner feast) or whilst walking from one village to another one, but for the most part the rehearsals were in Marseille where the quartet were rejoined by Sabine and Katherine (DIssonantes singers). A two week residency took place at La Friche Belle de Mai in November 2002.

Songs composed by Helen Chadwick were added to the repertoire, some influenced by the harmonies or the texts of Georgian songs. The six singers exchanged and fused their cultural and musical references.

THE CONCERT « BLACK SEA SONGS »
The concerts were recorded in the church of Notre Dame du Mont by Dominique Clement. The songs were mixed at the Cobalt Studio, 18 rue du Loisir, 13001 Marseille